The Cook of the Halcyon

image from Amazon

The Cook of the Halcyon is the 27th book in the Inspector Montalbano mystery series by Andrea Camilleri. I get a kick out of the characters, and the food descriptions always make me long for Italian food. There's more humor in these than in most mystery books, but it's gently added without making the books at all funny. They should be read in order as the characters develop during the course of the series. I read them as my generous husband gives them to me. Alas, the author died back in 2019, and there is just one more.

from the back of the book:

Giovanni Tricanato has brought ruin to the shipyard he inherited from his father, and when a newly fired worker hangs himself from a hull under construction, Inspector Montalbano is called to the scene. In short order, the Inspector loses his temper with the crass Giovanni and delivers a slap to his face. Unfortunately, it won't be the last he sees of Trincanato. Meanwhile, a mysterious schooner called the Halcyon shows up in the harbor, seemingly deserted except for just one man. With its presence come even more mysteries, another death, and the arrival of the FBI. Alongside Sicilian American agent Penninsi, Montalbano and his team must attempt a suspenseful infiltration operation in this new page-turning Inspector Montalbano mystery.

Publishers Weekly says, "Once again, Camilleri ... does a fine job balancing comedy and crime."